Dr. Wayne Mitchell, Associate Provost (EDI) and teacher in Immunology and Inflammation at Imperial College London, is committed to fostering an inclusive academic environment while inspiring the next generation of leaders in medicine and research.
About Us
Driven to empower the Black community by
providing life changing opportunities
A hub for Black inclusivity
The Black Inclusivity Catalyst was established by Imperial to drive greater participation in STEM and business within the Black community. We serve as a hub of discovery, providing access to essential support and opportunities that empowers Black students and individuals from the Black community to discover a career in STEM or business.
Our Events and Programmes
Each year, we host a range of events and programmes dedicated to helping students of Black heritage explore and discover study and career pathways in STEM and business.
Black Inclusivity Champions we work with
We work with academics, business leaders, and organisations to provide the Black community with resources and
opportunities to enter university, advance to postgraduate studies, launch startups, and develop a career in STEM and business.
Tim Campbell MBE
Tim Campbell MBE is a British entrepreneur and Businessman, and the first winner of the BBC’s The Apprentice. Renowned for his commitment to diversity and inclusion, Tim co-founded the Bright Ideas Trust, a social enterprise dedicated to helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds launch their own businesses. This initiative has been instrumental in promoting entrepreneurship within the Black community by providing mentorship, resources, and funding to aspiring Black entrepreneurs.
English businessman best known as the winner of the first series of the British version of The Apprentice.
Dr Kayisha Payne
Dr Kayisha Payne studied Chemical Engineering at Aston University and continued her education at Imperial College London, where she received a Masters’ in Advanced Chemical Engineering. In 2018, as the founder of BBSTEM, Kayisha was recognised by the Financial Times as one of The Top 100 Most Influential BAME leaders in Diversity and Technology. In 2019 she was awarded the STEM Rising Star Award at The Black British Business Awards. In 2020 she was awarded one of the Top 50 Women in Engineering. Kayisha is currently a Healthcare & Life Sciences Consultant at Alvarez & Marsal.
Dr Kayisha Payneis a Healthcare & Life Sciences Consultant at Alvarez & Marsal and founder of BBSTEM.
Andy Davis
Andy Davis is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and startup mentor with over 20 years of experience in the tech and media industries. Andy is co-founder of 10x10 Capital fund, a collective of black and mixed-race venture capital investors from across the UK who work together to help increase representation in venture capital. A passionate advocate for innovation, Andy has advised and invested in numerous startups, helping them scale globally.
Startup investor and founder of the 10X10 fund.
Ezechi Britton MBE
Ezechi Britton MBE is a former venture capitalist and the founder of Collectively Better, where he champions high-growth business startups. A recognised leader in tech and entrepreneurship, Ezechi was honoured with an MBE for his services to diversity and innovation. Passionate about fostering inclusive ecosystems, he combines investment expertise with a drive to empower underrepresented founders.
Former venture capitalist and founder of Collectively Better, building high-growth business startups.
Stephanie Travers
Imperial Alumni Stephanie Travers has made waves in the motorsport industry, starting as a Petronas Trackside Fluid Engineer, and worked with the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team from 2019 for three seasons. Following this, she transitioned to work under Lewis Hamilton, serving as Deputy Team Principal for the X44 racing team and now works as Impact manager for the Mission 44 Foundation.
Imperial Alumni and impact manager for Mission 44, founded by Lewis Hamilton to drive equal opportunity in STEM careers.
Muyiwa Oki
Muyiwa Oki is the President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and a senior Architect at Mace. As an Architect at Mace, Muyiwa is focused on technology, innovation and modern methods of construction and has worked on large-scale infrastructure projects including Qiddiya, HS2 Euston and the North London Heat and Power Project.
Muyiwa Oki, President of RIBA and senior Architect at Mace, specialises in technology and innovation.
What we have achieved to date
Download the report from our previous years
activities to discover more about what we
have achieved so far.
The Black Inclusivity Catalyst team
The Black Inclusivity Catalyst is led by a team of Imperial academics that have been working at the forefront of Black inclusivity initiatives for over two decades. Working with organisations and thought-leaders in academia and the Black community, they develop solutions that address the challenges Black individuals face when pursuing careers in STEM or business.
Dr Sunday Popo-Ola
Director, R²Frontiers in Bioscience, Computing, Engineering and Physics
Dr. Sunday Popo-Ola, Research and Teaching Fellow at Imperial, specialises in Concrete & Steel Structures and Environmental Systems. Winner of Imperial’s inaugural Equality and Diversity Award, he founded Creative Futures – Achieving Your Potential, inspiring young learners to excel.
Dr Wayne Mitchell
Assistant Provost, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Professor Sara Rankin
Professor of Leukocyte and Stem Cell Biology at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial
Sara Rankin FRSB, Professor of Leukocyte and Stem Cell Biology at Imperial College London, excels in stimulating bone marrow stem cells for tissue repair. A passionate neurodiversity advocate, she collaborates with Imperial's Neurodiversity Champions™ network to foster inclusivity in research.